![]() Jokes took shots at his former bosses, including an unexpected appearance by NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw. “The Gulf War didn’t get this kind of coverage.” David Letterman Takes Shots at His Bossesįrom there, Letterman delivered the type of witty entertainment that had made him a hot commodity in the first place. The self-deprecating comedian then noted all of the unwanted attention his network change had received. “If you think about it, all I really did was take the summer off,” Letterman glumly joked after the studio audience gave him a standing ovation. 30, 1993, the host immediately proved his skeptics wrong. When the Late Show With David Letterman debuted on Aug. The story quoted one media manager who said Letterman’s hiring was “kind of like putting a SoHo comedian into the Fontainebleau hotel.” “Industry prognosticators are cautious, if not downright skeptical" of Letterman, noted an article in Time. In total, CBS’ commitment to the new show topped $100 million. Even more money was pumped into renovating New York’s Ed Sullivan Theatre – located half a mile from Letterman’s old NBC stomping grounds – where the Late Show With David Letterman would be filmed. The host was signed to a massive deal, paying him a reported $14 million a year. And CBS, which for decades had resided in the late-night ratings doldrums, was excited to make Letterman its marquee star. ![]() During his years on Late Night, the host developed a reputation for his sarcastic and offbeat brand of humor. Letterman had a passionate fan base on his side. “So I tortured myself about that.” David Letterman's Passionate Fan Base I may never work again,’” Letterman admitted. ![]() At first, he even questioned whether he’d have a show at all. He had no interest in playing second fiddle to Leno by staying in the post- Tonight Show slot. READ MORE: The History of Warren Zevon on David LettermanĮven though he had no choice but to accept the decision, Letterman was nonetheless left in a delicate situation. It wasn’t as though I made a mistake, as far as I knew.” Nobody ever came to me and said, ‘We want you to host The Tonight Show.’ So I can live with that. “I thought maybe we’d take and move it to California, but that didn’t happen,” Letterman explained, looking back at the experience during a 2022 interview.
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